Barer Institute Announces Licensing Agreement with Princeton University's Office of Technology Licensing for SHMT Inhibitor Program

NEWARK, N.J., Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Barer Institute, a cancer drug development initiative of Rafael Holdings, Inc., (NYSE: RFL), today announced that it has reached an agreement with Princeton University's Office of Technology Licensing for technology from the laboratory of Professor Joshua Rabinowitz, in the Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, for an exclusive worldwide license to its SHMT (serine hydroxymethyltransferase) inhibitor program and related intellectual property.

SHMT is critical source of 1–carbon units utilized in cellular nucleotide synthesis. SHMT isoforms are upregulated in numerous cancers and have been shown to be a valuable target for metabolic cancer treatment.

Professor Rabinowitz commented, "I am looking forward to working with the Barer Institute, and their scientists and advisors, to turn our discoveries into life-saving drugs. The leading current antifolate, pemetrexed, was discovered by Ted Taylor's lab in Princeton's Chemistry Department, and I believe that our SHMT inhibitors will prove to be the next major class of folate-targeting therapeutics."

Dr. Ari Landon, Director of the Barer Institute, said, "We are excited to work with Professor Rabinowitz and build on his pioneering work on SHMT inhibitors. The Rabinowitz Lab is a leading metabolomics-focused research lab in the country, and its cutting-edge analytical work has already significantly extended our understanding of metabolic operations. This agreement enables us to explore SHMT inhibitors for potential commercial development." 

About Rafael Holdings, Inc.:
Rafael Holdings is focused on development of novel cancer therapies. The company is a significant investor in two clinical stage oncology companies, Rafael Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and LipoMedix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Through its wholly owned Barer Institute subsidiary, the company is developing compounds focused on the regulation of cancer metabolism. The company also holds commercial real estate assets in New Jersey and Jerusalem. For more information, visit rafaelholdings.com.

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SOURCE Rafael Holdings, Inc.